Stand Up
by AP3
Summary: VERY losely related to the canid story, about a timid boy and a misfit princess surviving in a world living in fear of a Titan


When it comes to my country, I like to think of our citizens as pacifists rather than cowards. It's okay to be afraid, it's okay to run and hide, when they come. The Titans, the monsters that eat us, smile wide as they cause chaos and confusion. It makes all the children scream at night and every mother lie wake in fright. But it's okay for us to be afraid and run when they come, we've been doing from the beginning of my country's history, I've been running since before I could walk. It's how my country came to be the way it is, when there's only one thing to worry about, little else matters.

Stand Up

A Fan Fiction By Ape

Chapter 1: Introductions are In Order

Lelas is a happy place, many nobles and refined families live there. The architecture is beautiful to look upon, the people are kind and gentle towards each other. Education is highly supported and the streets are always alive with music and art by traveling actors. It is truly a happy place to live, until the Titan comes. There is only one, but it comes through once through a while, to remind all of Lelas that it hasn't forgotten them. Unlike other countries, Lelas would rather hide in the tunnels below than fight. It's always been that way, and nobody is in a rush to change it. Still, it is a sight to behold when the horn is blown. The warning sends everybody into a frenzy, no orderly fashion or discipline, it's every man for himself to get down into the deep tunnels. Some don't make it into the tunnels, and their screams of pain and terror can be head even below the Earth.

But nobody like to think about any of that! Not when Lelas has so much more to offer! Especially the royal family, all beautiful and well respected people. The king lives in a grand castle with his wife and four sons, all well brought up and honorable. However, in Lelas, there is a smaller castle meant for his only daughter, Princess Rita, a mysterious person unknown to the public. Only a few noble friends and relatives know of her existence. One being the House of Eland which consists of Harold, a member of the council, his wife Elaine, and their two sons Grey and August. Grey is the eldest son, he is very popular in his school, the envy of every boy and the love of every girl. Everybody loves Grey, despite his quite demeanor and haunting scar (gift from the Titan). Grey has white thing hair and deep gray eyes, unlike most nobles, he values physical education and self defense. Maybe that's why everybody loves him, because he doesn't think he's asking for trouble by learning how to handle a sword properly or fire an arrow correctly.

But this isn't his story, this is Princess Rita's story. This is her tale of strength in gaining the courage to ask Grey the question she's wanted to ask for so long.

"Will come visit me tomorrow?" She asked the ground, blushing. Grey turned around and looked at the bashful princess. He really didn't want to be bothered by any of this, Grey isn't the type to be interested in relationships.

"Yeah sure." Grey grumbled then turned to walk to his house. Rita couldn't believe what she heard, she smiled and yelled after him.

"I can't wait!" and she ran all the way home.

"Isn't that great Princess! It'll be nice to have guest for a change!" Sulley, Rita's personal caretaker brushed off all the dirt on Rita's dress.

"Oh Sulley! I'm so glad I finally gained the courage to ask him!" Rita hugged her pillow and fell back into her giant bed, "I wonder if he likes cake!" She kicked her legs in excitement.

"I'm sure he does, Princess." Sulley smiled, happy to see Rita so hyper.

"I'm home." Grey slammed the door before the maid could reach it for him.

"Welcome home, young master. How was school?" The maid held out her arms and Grey dropped his bag and jacket in them.

"Just fine, where's August?"

"Outside, cloud gazing."

"_Cloud gazing_?"

"Yes, the young master has taken a liking to the shapes he finds."

"Mom and Dad must have been fighting again." Just as Grey said it, a crashing sound could be heard from upstairs. Elaine's voice shouted something and she appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, Grey, you're home."

"Mother."

"How was school dear?" Elaine rushed down the stairs to give her son a peck on the cheek.

"You were fighting with Dad again."

"It's nothing dear, really."

"Mother, you know how much August _hates_ fighting."

"Yes, yes. Maybe you should go comfort him, you're best at that." Elaine gestured at the maid and the maid curtseyed and rushed up the stairs to clean up whatever was broken in Harold's and Elaine's fight. Grey would have said more in protest but his mother was right, August wouldn't calm down unless it was his voice to soothe him. Why that would be so though is a mystery, Grey had a dark and daunting voice. He walked to the back yard, the gardner pointed to where his brother layed, staring up at the clouds.

"Hey there." Grey sat down beside August, August's brown eyes glanced at Grey for a moment and smiled.

"You're home."

"And not a moment to soon, mom and dad were breaking things again," Grey looked down at August to check if he was shaking, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just too stuffy in there."

"It's a mansion August."

"It's still to stuffy."

"Then why did you want to be home schooled!? Do you enjoy hearing those two bickering so much?"

"You get so fired up when it comes to mom and dad."

"It's not them I'm worried about, it's you August."

"I can handle it! I'm not a weakling!" August stood up, his hands bawled up in fists, and his face became red with anger. Grey sighed.

"You know I didn't mean it like that." He layed down in the grass, August took a deep breath and layed down beside him.

"That one looks like a bunny." Grey pointed to a little puff cloud, August chuckled, "What?"

"It does not look like a bunny."

"That's what it wants you to think." Grey nudged his brother but August only laughed.

"Anything happen at school?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, got chocolate from three girls, you want any?"

"It's not polite to turn around and give somebody else a gift that you received, Grey."

"Like it matters." Grey pointed to another cloud, "That looks like a mushroom."

"Don't change the subject, you should be glad you're so popular."

"You would be too if you went to school."

"No, I wouldn't, not like you." August blushed, he couldn't even picture what it would be like to go to school with his perfect brother.

"Trust me, girls love a guy like you, you'd remind them of a brown puppy."

"That's not a good thing." August sighed, it was unfortunately true that he looked like a puppy, unlike his twin brother, August wasn't tall, athletic, and his voice certainly wasn't as deep and commanding. He looked much more like his father, soft brown eyes and fluffy brown hair, since birth nannies and maids surrounded the boy with only awes and 'he's so cute'. August hated being known as cute and timid, he wanted to be more like Grey, but like Grey's physical scar, August had a scar from his childhood (yet another gift from the Titan). It was strange for twins to be so completely opposite, inside and out, but ti also what made them such great brothers. Grey didn't care about much, but watching his brother, he wanted to protect August from the darkness of the world.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend? You practically have your pick at them."

"What difference does it make? The Titan might just eat her the second I start caring."

"Grey! That's terrible."

"But it's true, you know Johnny?"

"Your best friend?"

"Yeah, his girlfriend got eaten just last month."

There was a moment of silence between the two, a slight breeze blew through August's hair.

"I guess there's no point to falling in love, if the we have to constantly watch out for the Titan." August whispered, he sat up and hugged himself, "It's not worth it if we're afraid."

"True." Grey sighed again and closed his eyes. "Ah."

"What?"

"Rita invited me over tomorrow."

"Rita!? You mean _Princess_ Rita!?" August freaked out and grabbed Grey by the collar of his shirt but Grey remained indifferent.

"Yeah, guess she likes me or something."

"You don't mind going for me, do you?"

"But she asked _you_!" August punched Grey in the shoulder, it had very little effect.

"So? Like she'll be able to tell the difference."

"That's really rude, I'm sure she likes you a lot and here you are pawning her off like some kind of ugly tie." August rubbed his hand, it hurt him to punch Grey.

"Just go for me, you can tell her that I don't feel the same way." Grey used August's head as an arm rest but August brushed him off.

"If that's how you felt then why didn't you tell her so when she invited you!?"

"Ah."

"Don't 'ah' me! You play boy, heart breaker, home wrecker!" August climbed on Grey, he tugged at his brother's shirt and pulled at his hair.

"Home wrecker, really?"

"Umm, young masters?" A maid spoke softly behind them, the two turned to look at her and she stared at them, blushing, "I'm sorry to disturb you but dinner is ready."

"Ah, it's not like he was making a move on me or anything." Grey joked.

"Who would want to make a move on a creep like you!?" August yelled at the top of his lungs.


End file.
